A Better Place To Be
by Detective Me
Summary: Pinkie Pie brings a human in need of cheering up into Equestria. Will he be able to cope? One thing's for sure, there will be shenanigans. Set just after Equestria Girls.
1. Chapter 1: Grand Entrance

"Have we got everything Spike?"

"Pretty sure we do."

"Why don't you check the list again to see if we missed anything?"

Spike sighed. "We don't need to check the list every five seconds Twilight."

Twilight glared at the baby dragon perched on her back. "Just check the list."

Spike rolled his eyes and pulled a thick scroll from Twilight's saddlebag, allowing the extensive list to unravel along the ground. "You know there may be such a thing as too organised Twilight," he grumbled as he read through the list. "Got that. And that. And that and that and that. Yes. Yes. Yes. Double yes. Hey, what's Pinkie Pie doing?"

Twilight sighed at Spike's attention span before looking around for Pinkie. It took her a few seconds to spot her quarry. The normally boisterous party pony was standing stock still in the middle of the town square, not making a sound, with a look of intense concentration on her face.

"Well that's weird," Twilight mused as she approached Pinkie.

"Hey Pinkie. Are you-"

"Hold on a second Twilight," Pinkie said, raising a hoof in front of Twilight's face. "I feel a combo coming on."

At once Twilight was alert and tense. She'd had bad experiences with Pinkie Sense in the past and she wasn't keen to repeat them.

"Here it comes," Pinkie said slowly. Suddenly her knees started shaking. "Twitchy knees," Pinkie listed. Her stomach growled fiercely. "Rumbly Tummy." She rubbed her hooves into the dirt fiercely. "Itchy hooves. That means…" Pinkie thought. Then she gasped, a look of horror on her face.

"Pinkie? What is it?" Twilight asked urgently.

"Oh Twilight! It's so horrible!" Pinkie cried. It looked like she was about to start sobbing

"What is it?"

"The worst combo ever!" Pinkie wailed as she grabbed Twilight by her shoulders.

"What does it mean? Are we going to be attacked? Is Princess Celestia in danger?"

"Worse!" Pinkie cried. She burst into tears and bawled, "It means that there's somepony out there who's crying!"

There was silence as Pinkie cried into Twilight's shoulder.

"Seriously? That's it?" Twilight asked, while Spike patted Pinkie's head in a bemused fashion.

"Oh Twilight you don't understand!" she wailed, pulling her head away from Twilight's shoulder. Her lower lip trembled as she talked. "If somepony's crying that means they're really sad. And that makes me really sad!" She howled, great streams of tears flowing onto the ground.

"Well, why don't you go and cheer them up," Twilight suggested, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation.

The effect was like a hose being shut off. The tears stopped and Pinkie's face brightened, a smile breaking out.

"Hey! That's a great idea," she cheered, hugging Twilight tightly.

"Glad I could help," Twilight gasped.

Pinkie released Twilight and gasped. "Maybe I could throw them a super cheery cheering up party! That'll be sure to put a smile on their dial."

With that the party pony turned and trotted away, humming merrily to herself.

"Good luck with that Pinkie," Twilight called after her.

"She's so random," Spike commented.

Twilight had to agree.

* * *

Pinkie trotted along the path, a mare on a mission, humming to herself and trusting her Pinkie Sense to take her the right way. It wasn't until she reached the outskirts of the Everfree Forest with the sun low on the horizon that she had second thoughts.

"Who would need cheering up in there?" she asked herself. "Maybe it's Zecora." For some reason she doubted it. But there was a pony in there somewhere who needed a smile. Pinkie had a reputation as a super party pony to uphold, and she wasn't gonna let some creepy forest stop her from making somepony happy.

And with that triumphant thought, she trotted into the Everfree, resolute in her task.

* * *

A whole reality away, there was, in fact, someone crying. On the banks of a shallow pond, beneath the boughs of an old willow tree, sat a boy, only just turned eighteen. His dirty blonde hair was swept to the side, framing his face. His eyes were a silvery blue and, at the moment, very wet. Tear tracks painted his cheeks, but he made not a sound. He wore a plain white t-shirt, worn dark jeans and a pair of battered sneakers. The moonlight streamed through the gaps in the branches and he shivered. The sun had set a while ago and he hadn't brought a jumper with him. It was especially cold tonight.

"Hi there!" a high pitched voice shouted. The boy let out an undignified shriek and tumbled away from the pond. He got to his feet, looking around for the source of the voice.

"Hello?" he asked timidly.

"Hi," the voice replied. The boy frowned. It sounded like the voice was coming from the pond. Cautiously, he edged closer and looked down. And his jaw hit the ground.

Where his reflection should have been was instead the image of a brightly coloured, cartoon pony. There was no other way to describe it. Its coat was an alarming bubble-gum pink and its wildly frizzy mane was a few shades darker. Its eyes were astonishingly large, coloured light blue. But the strangest thing was the enormous, giddy smile that stretched its face in an impossible way.

The boy knelt by the pool, staring at the pony in disbelief. All he managed to say was "What?"

Suddenly the pony noticed the tear tracks on his face. The smile vanished, replaced by a look of concern.

"Hey. Are you alright?" she asked. It was obviously a female. The voice was too high pitched to be a guy.

The boy hurriedly wiped his cheeks and muttered, "I'm fine." He fixed the pony with an intense stare. "Are you real?" he asked.

The pony scratched her chin with a hoof as she thought. "I think I am," she said slowly. "But maybe I'm not!" She looked quite alarmed at the thought and started feeling her face with her hooves.

"You're not sure whether or not you're real?" the boy questioned. Then he shook his head. "I'm trying to reason with a hallucination. I am definitely going mad."

"Hey I'm not a hallucination," the pony said, "I'm a pony. And you never answered my question. Are you alright?"

The boy gave a weak chuckle. "I'm anything but," he said.

The pony looked heartbroken. "What's wrong?"

"Family problems is the easiest way to put it," the boy explained. "I guess you could say I'm running away."

The pony looked like she was about to cry. He could actually see her eyes watering. "Oh you poor thing! Is there any way I can help?"

The boy shook his head. "I doubt it."

Suddenly the pony brightened. "Oh, I just had a great idea! How about you come back to Sugarcube Corner with me? I've never met a pony yet who can stay frowny while eating a cupcake!"

The boy opened his mouth to reply but was overridden by the pony, who was gabbing on like a maniac. "Oh and I could introduce you to my friends and show you around Ponyville and throw you a ginormous super fun party! I'm getting so excited just thinking about it! Come on!"

Without any warning whatsoever, the pony reached out and _through_ the pool, grabbing the boy by the shoulders. He only had enough time to wonder how she grabbed him with hooves, before he was yanked forward and tumbled through the pool.

It felt like turning a lightning fast somersault while being shoved down a tight tube. There was a rush of wind and the boy found himself lying on his back, feeling dizzy and sore. He stared up at the treetops and noticed they seemed different. More… cartoony. Suddenly the pony's face popped into his view, a giddy smile once again plastered onto her face.

"You ok?" she asked, not dropping the smile.

"Fine. Just fine," the boy groaned, running a hand through his hair. He lifted his hand in front of his face. For some reason he had half expected it to be a hoof. What a strange thought. Although when he looked at it carefully it did seem… less real in a way. All the small details had disappeared, leaving it looking like someone had drawn it. Weird.

Slowly he sat up, groaning slightly. He put his face in his hands and let them slide down, trying to get rid of the dizziness. In an offhand way he noticed that the light covering of stubble that had been on his chin was gone. Again, weird.

He got to his feet, ignoring the dizziness, and examined his surroundings. There were trees all around him, bent and twisted in odd ways, many thickly covered in moss. The air was less cold here, the perfect night-time temperature. He turned in a slow circle, coming to a stop facing the pink pony, who was still grinning like an idiot. She was a bit smaller than him, only coming up to mid-chest.

"Where am I?" he asked weakly.

"We're in the Everfree Forest," she explained. The boy nodded, even though the name didn't make any sense to him.

"Can I get back?"

The pony thought. "I'm pretty sure you could. I could reach through after all," she reasoned.

The boy, not satisfied, crouched by the pool and stuck his hand in. Instead of his hand being submerged in cold water, it was like it passed through the surface. He could see it on the other side.

"So, are you gonna come with me to Sugarcube Corner?" the pony asked.

The boy thought for a moment before standing. "We'll, since I'm here I may as well," he said. The pony cheered, jumping about excitedly. "Do you know the way out of here?"

"Piece of cake!" she beamed. "Follow me!" she began bouncing away, before stopping and looking over her shoulder. "By the way, my name's Pinkie Pie."

The boy was silent for a second. "Call me Chris," he said.

* * *

**Oh my god I actually wrote a fan fiction. I honestly cannot believe I managed to do it.**

**Anyway, please R&R and stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2: Apples and Speed Demons

Chris was exhausted. He had been following Pinkie Pie through this stupid forest for hours. His legs ached, each breathe was painful and every now and then sweat would drip into his eyes. They had been walking for so long the sun had well and truly risen, sunlight streaming through the treetops. He wished he had his phone with him to check the time. He looked forward at Pinkie Pie and felt another pang of jealousy. While he was struggling the pink pony was still bouncing along, humming happily to herself. Where did she get all that energy?

"Do you know how much farther it is?" he asked wearily.

"We're almost there," Pinkie chirped confidently.

Chris was getting annoyed. "How do you know? Everything looks the same around here. We could be going in circles for all we know."

Pinkie laughed in response. "Don't be silly, I know exactly where we are. Look," she waved her hoof at the trees around them.

Chris looked and immediately noticed a difference. The trees in the Everfree Forest had been growing close together, with bent trunks and coverings of moss. The air had been heavy with the smell of rotting wood and damp earth. By stark contrast the trees that surrounded them now were widely spaced in neat, ordered rows. Their trunks were straight and tall and each of them bore a large load of shiny apples. The air was different too. It light and fresh and smelled of… toffee apples and cinnamon? What?

"We're in Sweet Apple Acres, right outside Ponyville. I told you I knew the way back." Pinkie said with a grin. "Hey! Look over there!" she pointed down the row of trees to something in the distance. Something orange was standing next to one of the trees. Chris shaded his eyes and squinted. It looked like another pony, but he couldn't be sure at this distance.

"It's Applejack! Ooh I get to introduce you to one of my friends already! Yay!" Pinkie squealed before holding up an oversized megaphone. Wait a second where did she pull that from?!

"APPLEJAAAACK!" Pinkie screamed into the megaphone, bending the trees around them with the force of her shout. Chris was nearly blown off his feet. Off in the distance the orange pony leapt into the air in fright. Pinkie Pie started waving madly to it. The other pony quickly noticed and waved back, before trotting towards them.

"Who's Applejack?" Chris asked.

"She's one of my friends. She pretty much runs Sweet Apple Acres, so she's really hard working. Plus she's like, the best baker ever."

Chris nodded and turned his attention back to the approaching pony. As she drew closer he began to make out the details of her features. The first thing he noticed was the Stetson on her head. It looked old but in excellent condition. Her eyes were bright green and she wore an easy smile. Her mane and tail were light blonde and tied back with red bands. Strangely she appeared to have a pair of tattoos, a trio of red apples, on either side of her flank. For the first time Chris also noticed the same kind of marks on Pinkie's flanks, this time a trio of balloons, two blue and one yellow. How had he not noticed that before?

Chris turned his attention back to Applejack as she noticed him. Her smile faded slightly, but she didn't reduce her speed. Chris could see the caution in her eyes.

"Hey there Pinkie," she called in a southern accent. "Who's yer friend here?"

"This is Chris," Pinkie explained. "He was sad so I'm taking him to Sugarcube Corner to cheer him up. You wanna come?"

"Sure thing," Applejack said brightly the caution in her eyes evaporating. "Ah've finished all mah chores and ah could do with a snack."

At the mention of food Chris's stomach let out a mighty growl. Walking for hours without a bite to eat had left him with a ravenous appetite. Applejack laughed kindly.

"Here," she said, walking over to a nearby tree. She gave the tree a light buck and an apple fell out of it, just like that. She tossed the apple to Chris and said, "That'll tide yeh over till we get ta Sugarcube Corner."

"Thanks," Chris said quietly. He bit into the apple and his eyes widen. This was the best apple ever! Applejack watched him as he ate. He did seem kinda gloomy, she thought. A trip through Ponyville might do him good.

"Well come on slowpokes!" Pinkie cried as she bounced away. Chris raised an eyebrow after her and glanced at Applejack.

"Is she always like this?" he asked through a mouthful of apple.

"Pretty much," Applejack replied, trotting after Pinkie.

The corners of Chris's mouth lifted slightly and he walked after the two ponies.

"So, if yah don' mind me askin', what kinda critter are yeh? And where'd yeh come from?" Applejack asked.

Chris was silent for a moment. "Well starting with the easy question, I'm a human. As to where I came from…" he hesitated, "I don't think I'm even from this world."

"How'd yeh figure that?" Applejack questioned.

Chris shrugged and took another bite of his apple. "It's only a guess. I really have no idea what happened. Apart from that I was pulled through a pond."

"You were what now?"

"Pinkie Pie reached through a pond," Chris explained, "grabbed me and pulled me through."

There was silence. "Well ok then," said Applejack.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Really? You just accept the fact that she pulled me through a pond?"

Applejack chuckled. "Yeh learn not to question Pinkie Pie too much." That Chris could understand.

A comfortable silence descended on the group. Chris threw away his apple core and scratched the back of his head, a question bubbling away inside him. He had to ask or it would drive him crazy. "Um, Applejack?"

"Yep?"

"If you don't mind me asking, what's with those pictures on your flank?"

"You mean my cutie mark?" Applejack asked, giving him a strange look. "Don' you have one?" Chris shook his head. "Huh. Well a cutie mark appears when a pony finds their special talent."

"Special talent?"

"The thing that they're really meant to do in life. Ah got mine when ah realised ah belonged here on Sweet Apple Acres."

"And I got mine when I found out how much I like making ponies happy," Pinkie chirped.

"Hey, if you don' have a cutie mark then how do yeh know what yer special talent is?" Applejack asked.

Chris thought. "By trying out different things and seeing what you enjoy doing I suppose. Luck probably plays a part as well."

"Sounds difficult," Applejack said sympathetically.

Chris smiled sadly. "No one said life was easy."

Soon enough the merry band left the apple orchard, passing the Apple family's house and barn before setting out along the main road. The sky above them was a beautiful, perfect blue with only a few thin clouds floating around lazily.

"Look out!" Applejack cried suddenly.

Chris snapped his head up, just in time to see a rainbow hurtling straight at him.

"Huh?" he said before the rainbow smashed him off his feet with a loud CRASH.

Flashing lights were dancing in front of his eyes. His head and chest spiked with pain. Something heavy was lying on top of him. A large orange smudge appeared in his view. He thought he heard something, but it was muffled, like he was listening through a thick wall. He blinked a couple of times and Applejack's face came into focus, concern written all over it.

"Are yeh all right sugar cube?"

Chris groaned. "I'm alright. What's on top of me?"

Applejack's relief quickly turned to annoyance. "That'd be one of our friends, Rainbow Dash."

Chris raised his head with a groan and found himself staring at a pair of rose coloured eyes. The pony lying on top of him was coloured the same blue as the sky, with a vivid rainbow coloured mane and tail. No points for guessing where she got her name from.

There was quiet for a few seconds as they observed each other.

"You're lying on top of me," Chris commented dryly.

Rainbow Dash started and jumped up, appearing completely unfazed by the crash. "Sorry about that," she said awkwardly. "I was trying out a new trick and sorta lost control. I hope you're not hurt or anything."

"Only my dignity," Chris groaned as he slowly got to his feet.

Rainbow chuckled a little, rubbing the back of her head. "So, what the hay are you?" she asked bluntly. "And where'd you come from?"

Chris sighed and motioned to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. "Would you two mind explaining?"

As Pinkie and Applejack told Rainbow about him, Chris subtly studied her. The thing that drew his attention was the pair of folded wings at her sides. That explains the falling from the sky part, Chris thought. Her cutie mark was a white cloud with a red, blue and yellow striped lightning bolt.

"Wait, so you're from a different universe?" Rainbow asked.

"As far as I can tell, yes."

"That's kinda cool I guess," she said nonchalantly. I could tell she was bursting with excitement though. "I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in Equestria."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked sceptically.

Rainbow jumped up, hovering in front of his face. "Yes, really."

Chris grinned slyly. "Prove it," he challenged.

Rainbow grinned back at him. There was a whoosh and she was gone, a long rainbow trail marking her passage. Chris looked up at the sky, watching as she punched through a couple of clouds before looping around and hurtling back towards the ground, followed by a stream of water droplets. She landed with a skid, coming to a halt right in front of them as the water hit her outstretched wings and formed a rainbow above her head. A double rainbow one could say. Chris mental slapped himself for making such a terrible pun.

"How's that for fast?" Rainbow said with a smug smile.

"Well I'm impressed," Chris replied, still grinning. "Now let's get going. At this rate I won't get any cupcakes till next week."

The ponies laughed and led the way, with the human trailing behind them, feeling a little more at ease.


	3. Chapter 3: Yet Another Introduction

Ponyville looked like the perfect idyllic country town. Cosy looking homes with thatched roofs, flower gardens at every corner, a windmill off to one side and a large town hall smack bang in the middle. From where he stood on the hill overlooking the town Chris could see numerous, multi-coloured ponies going about their daily business. A bell began to sound from somewhere in the town and Chris counted eleven chimes. Eleven o'clock, he thought. No wonder I'm starving.

"Come on Chris," Applejack called from down the road. "What happened to bein' all impatient for lunch?"

As if in response to her words his stomach let out a titanic growl. Rainbow Dash, who was hovering above him, sniggered quietly. Chris rolled his eyes and set off down the path, intent on hunting down the mighty cupcakes he had been promised.

As the group approached the town, Chris felt misgivings stirring in his chest. "Applejack?" he asked apprehensively.

"What's wrong sugar cube?"

Chris took a moment to formulate his answer. "What if the other ponies react… badly to me?"

"Whaddya mean 'badly'?"

Chris snorted. "I'm not an idiot Applejack. I noticed the look in your eyes when you first saw me. What if the other ponies flip out or something?"

"Don't be silly," Pinkie Pie admonished. "They'll love you!"

"Besides, yer wit' me, Pinkie and Dash. You may get some funny looks but I doubt anypony will freak out."

Applejack noticed Chris looking at her strangely. "What?"

"Any_pony_?" Chris replied. "Really? You really say any_pony_?"

Applejack had no idea what he was getting at. "What's wrong with sayin' anypony?"

Chris shook his head as he grinned broadly. "It's nothing. Forget I said anything."

Applejack wanted to pry, but decided to leave it alone. By now the group had entered Ponyville, with Pinkie bouncing along out in front, Rainbow hovering overhead and Chris and Applejack walking side by side. As Applejack had predicted, Chris was getting stares from all sides. Some of the ponies looked curious, others looked cautious and one pony with a turquoise coat and golden eyes would have to scrape her jaw off the ground. Chris felt his cheeks reddening from all the attention and focused on the buildings around him. From a distance he hadn't noticed just how vibrant the houses looked. Some were pink, some were blue, some were green and every colour looked brighter than it should have.

"There you are Pinkie Pie!" someone called. A pure white pony was trotting towards them, her purple mane and tail elegantly curled. Her cutie mark was a trio of diamonds and her eyes were a deep sapphire with long lashes and a light covering of eye shadow. Chris noted that she spoke in a sort of refined, posh way. He also noted the short horn sticking out of her forehead. "We've all been so worried. Twilight told us how you ran off the other day and – oh my."

The last words were torn from her as she noticed Chris, coming to a sharp halt. Her eyes scanned him up and down, looking shocked and horrified. What happened to no one freaking out Applejack?

"What in Equestria happened to your clothes dear?" the white unicorn cried. Well that was unexpected, Chris thought as he looked down at his clothes. The bottoms of his jeans were caked with mud and the knees were covered in dust, one of them ripped. His shirt had some leaves stuck to it and a small tear near the bottom.

"Oh, I was walking through the Everfree Forest," Chris explained casually as he brushed away the leaves.

The unicorn's level of horror increased. "Why would you want to have a walk through that dreadful place?"

Chris sighed. "Maybe I should get a sign that explains everything," he said to no one in particular.

"I'm on it!" Pinkie squealed before zipping away, leaving nothing but a dust cloud and a pink blur.

"I wasn't serious," Chris mumbled while Applejack and Rainbow Dash laughed. Even the unicorn gave a ladylike giggle.

"Anyway, I believe introductions are in order," the unicorn said, placing a hoof on her chest. "I am Rarity, owner of Carousel Boutique. And you are?"

"My name's Chris. It's a pleasure to meet you Rarity."

Rarity giggled. "Oh the pleasure's all mine. Now I'd best find Twilight and tell her to stop worrying about Pinkie Pie."

"Looks like yeh won' have too," said Applejack. "Here she comes now. And she's got Fluttershy with her."

"My how convenient," Chris muttered as he observed the two ponies approaching the congregation. The first one was best described as purple. Purple coat, dark purple mane and tail with a pink stripe and purple eyes. A horn on her forehead parted her mane and a pair of wings were folded neatly at her sides. What did that make her, a pega-corn? A uni-sus? Whatever. Chris could just make out her cutie mark, which was a pink, six pointed star surrounded by five small, white stars.

The other pony, a pegasus, was following a pace behind, doing her best to hide behind her long pink mane. Her coat was pale yellow and her tail matched her mane. Chris could just make out one blue-green eye peeking out from behind the pink curtain. This pony practically oozed shy adorableness. Three pink butterflies adorned her flank.

"Oh good! I was just about to go looking for you Twilight," Rarity said to the purple one. "Pinkie Pie is quite fine. You just missed her, in fact."

"That's nice," Twilight replied, her eyes locked on Chris. He could see a burning curiosity within the purple orbs that were drilling into his soul.

Chris sighed. "Hi. My name's Chris. You can probably tell, but I'm not from around here."

Twilight smiled. "I figured that. I'm Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia."

"Princess Who-now?"

Twilight's jaw dropped. "You don't know who Princess Celestia is?!" she said loudly.

"Like I said, I'm not from around-"

"HERE YOU GO!"

"GAH!"

Chris wasn't the only one who had been surprised by Pinkie's sudden reappearance. The others had all let out shouts of alarm and Rainbow had nearly fallen out of the sky.

"Pinkie Pie!" Chris gasped. His heart felt like it was trying to smash his ribcage apart. "Don't do that! You scared the hell out of me!"

"I'm sorry but I was just so excited and I finished the sign and…" Chris stopped focusing on Pinkie's rambling, his attention drawn by something else. The other ponies had all recovered, except one. The yellow one, who could only be Fluttershy, was crouching on the ground, trying to look as small as possible, trembling with fright. Chris unexpectedly felt a strange, irresistible urge to comfort her. Slowly, he approached and hunkered down in front of the shaking pony. The one eye he could make see through her mane widened.

"Hi there," Chris said softly. "Are you Fluttershy?" She nodded, looking surprised that he knew her name. "My name's Chris. It's nice to meet you."

Fluttershy didn't say anything for a moment. Then, in a voice so soft and sweet, "It's nice to meet you too."

Chris beamed and could just make out a small nervous smile from Fluttershy. He got to his feet and noticed that everyone had stopped talking. He looked around. The ponies were staring at him like he had a second head.

"What?" he asked.

"That was so cute!" Pinkie squealed, bouncing over and wrapping him in a hug. As she did Chris noticed that the smell of toffee apples and cinnamon intensified. Now that he thought about it, the scent had disappeared when she zipped off.

Just as the hug was getting awkward, Pinkie released him. "Oh, by the way," she said, "I finished your sign. Here you go." She proffered a large sign. Chris glanced at it and immediately burst out laughing. It said, in large, pink letters;

**MY NAME IS KRIS**

**I'M A HOO-MAN**

**AND I WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND**

"What's so funny?" Pinkie asked.

"Your spelling is a bit off," Chris explained, still chuckling. "Also the "I want to be your friend' message may be a little over the top. Anyway I really wasn't serious about the sign."

"She doesn't really get sarcasm," Rainbow explained in an undertone.

Pinkie Pie didn't seem offended by Chris's critique in the least. "That's okay," she chirped. "I'll fix it up and save it for later." And with that she promptly shoved the whole sign into her tail.

Chris felt something in his brain break as the laws of physics were trampled right in front of him.

"But – but – but how-"

"Don't ask," Twilight interrupted. "Just don't ask."

Chris pointed at Pinkie. "But she just-"

"It's sort of what Pinkie Pie does," Twilight said. "It's easier if you just accept it. Trust me."

Chris sighed. This place gets stranger by the minute, he thought. Abruptly his stomach growled again, this time accompanied by an intense pain.

"Oh god I'm starving," he muttered. Applejack laughed awkwardly as her stomach joined the chorus.

"Ah could use something to eat as well," she admitted.

"Lunch sounds wonderful," Twilight agreed.

"Then come one everypony!" Pinkie commanded as she bounced onwards. "To Sugarcube Corner!"

"And quickly!" Chris laughed as he and the other ponies followed.

* * *

**Well that one took longer than I'd expected. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. Feel free to review.**

**Quick question: Would you guys prefer longer chapters?**


	4. Chapter 4: When Everything is Going Well

Chris was beginning to think that there was nothing else in this new world that could surprise him. Until he saw Sugarcube Corner for the first time. The building was ridiculous! The whole thing looked like a humongous gingerbread house, complete with white icing around the edges. Giant candy canes and other sweets were sticking out of the roof. And the smells! Enticing aromas of icing sugar, cakes, chocolate and a hundred other delicious things wafted out the pink doors. Chris could feel his mouth watering as his stomach became even more verbal.

"Wow," he said.

"It is pretty impressive, isn't it?" Twilight agreed.

"Understatement of the century."

Twilight laughed and followed Pinkie through the door, with Chris and the others right behind her. The inside was even more impressive than the outside. The gingerbread house theme continued in here, with candy cane pillars in the corners and icing along every edge. Baked goods of every kind lined the shelves and the combination of heavenly aromas was almost overwhelming.

"Hey! You alright?"

Chris started. Rainbow Dash was hovering in front of him, looking puzzled. He realised that he had been drifting off a little. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed a little awkwardly.

"Sorry, I guess I was day dreaming. Damn it smells good in here."

"Of course it does," Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Only Applejack is a better baker than the Cakes. Oh, hi Mrs Cake!" she called to the pony who was walking out of the back room, wearing a pink, filly apron. Her coat was blue while her mane and tail were light crimson and shaped like swirls of icing.

"Hello there Pinkie Pie," Mrs Cake said in a kindly manner as she stepped up to the counter. "What are you after today?"

"I'm gonna need a midday platter for seven!" Pinkie declared.

"Coming right up. Go ahead and take a seat," Mrs Cake said, pointing to a large table over by the window. Chris walked over to the table, relieved to be able to sit down after waking for so long. Unfortunately, the chair he pulled out was already occupied by a small, vivid green alligator with bulging purple eyes.

"Why is there an alligator in my chair?" Chris asked.

"Oh, did Gummy get out again?" Pinkie giggled. "Sorry about that. He likes to go exploring whenever I leave my bedroom door open. He never leaves Sugarcube Corner though." As she talked, Pinkie picked up the alligator and deposited him on her back. Gummy didn't move. It didn't even look like he was breathing. Then he blinked. He was alive at least.

"Do you live here?" Chris asked.

"Yup, just upstairs. I'll just go put Gummy away and I'll be right back." With that she bounced across the room and up the stairs, with her alligator's jaws clamped firmly onto her mane.

Chris raised an eyebrow as he sat down. "She has an alligator as a pet? Isn't that a bit dangerous?"

"Oh, not really. You see, Gummy doesn't have any teeth." It took Chris a moment to realise that the soft, quiet voice had come from Fluttershy.

"Then what does he eat?"

Fluttershy looked surprised at the question. "I… I don't actually know," she said. "I've never even seen Gummy eat anything."

"Speaking of food," Chris remarked as another pony approached, balancing a large platter stacked with cakes and seven milkshakes in tall glasses on his back. He wore a white apron over his yellow coat and a little hat over his red mane.

"Here you go," He said as he skilfully slid the platter off his back into the middle of the table, "Enjoy!"

_He didn't stare at me_, Chris thought. _Neither of them did. Maybe it's a busy day. Then again, they live with Pinkie Pie. Weird stuff is probably a daily routine for them._

_Speaking of whom._

"Oh these look delicious!" Pinkie squealed as she rejoined the table. "What's everypony waiting for? Dig in!"

Chris needed no further invitation as he swiped a cupcake off the platter, tore off the wrapper and devoured half of it with one bite. It was like sugary heaven dancing on his tongue!

"Vif if delifif," he managed to force around the cupcake.

"What was that sugar cube?" Applejack asked with a snicker.

With some difficulty Chris swallowed and repeated, "This is delicious."

The others nodded in agreement, their own mouths full of scrumptious baked goods. For a long while the only sounds were that of chewing and the occasional slurp as someone took a drink of their milkshake.

"So, Chris," Twilight said. "Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"

Chris grinned and shook his head. "Nope, sorry, I don't do backstory," he replied to the disappointment of the others. "I'd actually like to know more about all of you."

"Well okay then," Twilight seemed a little put out, but smiling all the same. "What do you want to know?"

Chris thought for a moment, then asked, "What jobs do you ponies do around here?"

"Well I help out with the baking here at Sugarcube Corner," Pinkie Pie answered brightly.

"I'm the manager of the weather patrol here in Ponyville," said Rainbow Dash proudly.

Chris frowned. "What's the weather patrol?"

"You know, moving clouds around, making sure it rains on schedule, that sort of thing."

"Wait, wait. You _make_ the weather here?"

"Um, yeah. Doesn't that happen where you're from?"

Chris shook his head. "The weather makes itself in my world."

The ponies' eyes widen. "Whoa," said Rainbow.

"Just like in the E-Everfree Forest," Fluttershy squeaked, trembling as she thought about it. _Time to change the subject_, Chris thought.

"So what do you do Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy appeared a little startled that she was being spoken to. "Oh, well I take care of all the animals around Ponyville," she explained, gaining a small amount of confidence. "I help them heal up if they get sick or injured, and I also have a grooming service for the pets around Ponyville."

"And thank goodness she does. I don't think I'd ever be able to give Opal a bath myself," Rarity added while Fluttershy blushed.

"Who's Opal?" Chris asked, reaching for a sugar covered donut.

"Opalescence is my pet cat," Rarity explained. "She can be a bit of a hoof-full sometimes, but she always obeys Fluttershy."

"Well, working with animals is my special talent," Fluttershy said with a modest smile.

_Butterflies, right._ "So how do you make a living Rarity? I remember you mentioned something about a boutique earlier."

Rarity nodded. "Yes, Carousel Boutique. I'm a fashion designer and clothing maker. I personally create some of the most stunning garments you shall ever see," she proclaimed grandly. _This one has a flair for the dramatic I see._ "Maybe I should design some new outfits or you. It would be nice to see you out of those, err… old things."

Chris frowned as he bit into the donut. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Oh nothing at all," she said quickly. "They're just a bit… plain I suppose. And torn. And dirty."

Chris shrugged. She had a point. "How about you Applejack? I'm going to guess that you work on the farm."

"Sure do," Applejack replied, a hint of pride in her voice. "I also run our stall down in the market."

Chris smiled at her enthusiasm. "Sounds like hard work."

"Can be at times. But it's the good kinda hard work."

_Honest work_, Chris thought. "Last but not least," he turned to the purple pony beside him. "Twilight Sparkle! What is it that you do that improves the lives of ponies?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'm the librarian of the Golden Oak Library, just down the road. And," Twilight suddenly looked awkward, a blush rising up her cheeks. "I'm also a princess."

Chris was silent as he absorbed this information and took a sip of his milkshake. The other ponies were staring at him in silence, as though awaiting his response. Finally Chris lowered his milkshake.

"I hope you don't expect me to bow," he said dryly.

At once the expectant silence vanished as everyone laughed, even Twilight. "Well maybe a little one," she said pompously, sticking her nose in the air.

Chris raised his eyebrows, but got up from his chair and bowed extravagantly with much waving of hands. He sat back down amidst renewed gales of laughter, chuckling himself. Eventually the laughter died down, although Pinkie continued to snort to herself, probably replaying the moment in her head.

"So is there a king or a queen that you're somehow related to?" Chris asked.

Twilight looked thoughtful. "Not that I've heard. As far as I know there are only the princesses, Celestia, Luna, Cadance and me."

"And are you related to them?"

"Well, Cadance is my sister-in-law but other than that, no."

"So how did you become a princess then?"

"Long story short I created a new kind of magic and got transformed into an alicorn."

_Oh that's what she is. I thought pegacorn sounded str – hang on a second._ "Did you just say magic?"

"Um, yes?"

A manic gleam suddenly appeared in Chris's eyes and his smile turned rapturous. "Show me," he said, leaning forward in his chair.

Twilight gave him a strange look as her horn lit up with a purple, sparkling aura. The same aura wrapped around her cup a lifted it into the air. Chris's eyes followed the cup as it rose. "Cool," was all he said

"I get the feeling you don't have magic where you come from," Twilight deduced.

Chris shook his head, still grinning like an idiot. Then his stomach sank and his smile faded as he caught sight of the clock on the wall. _Almost two o'clock? When did that happen?_

"What's wrong sugar cube?"

"Yes, you seem to have become rather sombre all of a sudden," Rarity added.

Chris sighed and nodded at the clock. "I need to be heading home soon. With the amount of time it took Pinkie and I to walk out of the Everfree Forest I'll have to leave if I want to get home before nightfall." The ponies all groaned and bowed their heads.

"But we didn't even get around to having a party." Pinkie Pie pointed out.

"Well maybe, in a couple of days, I could… stop by again," Chris suggested. "We can have a party then, 'kay?"

Instantly, Pinkie was smiling again. "Great idea! That'll give me lots of time to plan everything and get all the supplies. How about three days from now?"

Chris smiled. "Sounds great."

"I look forward to it," said Rarity.

"Can't wait," Applejack agreed.

"I never miss a Pinkie Pie party," Rainbow cried.

"It sounds wonderful," Fluttershy said quietly.

"Three days it is," Twilight declared.

Chris couldn't stop smiling. All of these ponies were excited about seeing him again. And… he was excited too. It felt like his heart was about to explode with all the joy of just being around them.

"Alright then," Chris said as he stood. "See you all in three days. Pinkie, do you remember the way back to the pond?"

"Yeah it's just, um… I think it was... no… um…"

Chris felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach as Pinkie went from a smile to a confused frown. "Pinkie? You do remember the way, right?"

Pinkie tapped the tips of her hooves together, looking awkward. "Well on the way there I was just following my Pinkie sense. A-and on the way back I was so excited about throwing you a party that I forgot to remember where we were going."

Panic was starting to bubble up inside his chest. His breaths were coming faster and heavier. "But… we – we could find it, right? I mean we could- we-"

"But the forest is huge," Rainbow interjected. "How would you find one tiny pond in the middle of-?"

"Rainbow that's not helping," Twilight hissed as Chris's panic attack got worse. Stumbling slightly, he headed towards the door. "I have to- need to-"

"Wait, Chris-" Pinkie began.

"No leave me alone!" Chris shouted, his eyes pools of terror and desperation. "Just- just stay away from me!" He could see the hurt and sorrow in Pinkie's eyes, but his fear told him to run. And that's what he did as he turned and sprinted out of the bakery.

"W-what did I do?" Pinkie asked hopelessly as tears trickled down her cheeks.

* * *

**The amount of time needed to write this chapter, was too damn long! Personally, I blame university.**

**Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. Favourite, follow and review, or I shall set the dreaded singing Pinkie Pie on thee!**

**Also if you happen to notice any spelling/grammar mistakes please let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5: What the Heart Wants

**What's this? A new chapter already? Inconceivable!**

* * *

_The moon is pretty tonight_, Chris thought dully. The stark white disc, peppered with dark splodges, was large and full, showering the Everfree Forest in light. To Chris, sitting on the edge of a towering precipice with his knees pulled up to his chest, the light was cold and distant, offering no comfort. He'd been stumbling around the forest for hours, desperately searching for the pool back to his world. His shirt was covered in rips and tears, his shoes and socks were soaked through and the bottom of his jeans were caked in mud. Both of the knees were ripped now.

Iron bands tightened around his chest as Chris thought of going home. He didn't know what he wanted, or what he should do. He was happier here than he'd ever been. But he couldn't go back, not after he'd yelled at them… at Pinkie Pie. Tears pricked his eyes as the hurt expression on her face floated in front of him. Anger at himself briefly flared up as he wiped the tears away. He should leave, go back home, where he wouldn't be able to hurt them ever again. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. The very thought of going back to his world, back to his family, though he doubted they deserved the term, made his heart crumple with despair. Burying his face in his hands, Chris hoped desperately for some sort of miracle. He took a deep breathe in an effort to relax, and stopped. He sniffed. He raised his head from his hands.

He could smell toffee apples and cinnamon.

"Have you come to yell at me?" he asked dismally.

"No," Pinkie said simply. Chris heard soft hoof beats as she walked up to the cliff edge and sat beside him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She wasn't smiling, but she didn't seem angry either. She just looked very calm.

"Then why are you here?"

"I wanted to apologise for everything. I shouldn't have pulled you through the pond and I should have remembered the way back. I guess I just didn't think ahead. And I'm really, really sorry."

Slowly, Chris turned his head to look at her. He could see in her eyes that she was sincere. He sighed quietly, the apology making him feel worse, and looked back up at the moon.

"Do you want to know why I was sitting by that pond?" he asked quietly.

Pinkie frowned. "You told me you were running away."

Chris chuckled weakly. "That was somewhat true. But it was actually less like I ran away, more like I got kicked out, made to run away."

Pinkie's eyes widened but she said nothing. Chris kept talking, finding he didn't want to stop. "I was the middle child of my family. I was less brilliant than my older brother and my younger sister took up all my parents' time. They hardly ever looked sideways at me, except to criticise." With every word Chris felt better, lighter somehow. "I guess they figured I was never going to be as successful as my older brother. They wanted me to be just like him though. Do something practical, like accounting. But that just wasn't the way I wanted to live. I wanted excitement, adventure. I wanted to travel the world, write a book, see everything life had to offer. My parents wouldn't hear of it, of course." A scowl darkened his features and a note of sarcasm oozed into his voice. "I had to follow in my brother's almighty footsteps if I ever wanted to amount to anything. They told me that they'd enrolled me at a university and I was going whether I liked it or not. I refused and they told me to either do what I was told, or get out. So I ran." Chris heaved a sigh. "And that's how I ended up here."

For a long while neither of them spoke. Then Pinkie asked, "If it was so bad, why do you want to go back?"

Chris was only partly aware of choosing his next words, as though his heart had stolen his vocal cords for a brief moment to force its opinion into the world.

"I don't."

That was the truth of it. "I don't want to go back. But the idea that, eventually, I'd have to go back was stuck in my head. I suppose I would have realised eventually that I could stay here. It's not like there's much over there for me. But having it sprung on me like that…" Chris sighed again. "I guess I just panicked."

For a long while they were silent. "Pinkie you came out here to apologise to me. But you" he looked Pinkie straight in the eyes, "have nothing to apologise for. You brought me here. You, and the others, made me feel happier than I've ever felt. And all I did to thank you was yell and hurt you. I'm the one who should apologise to you." He paused, letting his words sink in. "I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie."

A smile bloomed on Pinkie Pie's face, and it felt like Chris's heart was going to crack a rib as she said, "Apology accepted."

With tears in his eyes Chris pulled her into a hug that she gladly returned. "Thank you Pinkie Pie," he whispered.

"Aww."

Chris jumped and sprang away from Pinkie like he'd been electrocuted. The others were all sanding just within the tree line behind him, glaring at Fluttershy, who had her hooves over her mouth.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, lowering her hooves. "I know we were supposed to be quiet and everything, but that was just so sweet."

Chris rolled his eyes. "How long have you been there?"

"We heard pretty much everything," Twilight answered as she walked over and threw a hoof around Chris's shoulders. Chris sighed, personally glad he wouldn't have to tell that story more than once.

"So where do we go from here?" Chris asked. "I doubt that I'll ever be able to find that pool again, and even if I did I wouldn't go through it."

"You can stay in the spare room of the library for now, until you get a place of your own."

"Thanks Twilight. Oh," Chris grimaced as a new realisation hit him. "I'm going to have to get a job."

"That can prob'ly wait till later sugar cube," Applejack said with a grin.

Chris smiled back before yawn widely. Twilight chuckled. "We should probably be heading back. You've been up for quite a while."

"Any chance of a ride back?" Chris asked as he got up.

"No."

* * *

"Now we have to be quiet," Twilight whispered as she carefully pulled the door to the library open. "Spike's asleep and I don't want to wake him up."

Were Chris less tired he would have been curious as to who Spike was. He would also have been quite surprised that the library was a tree. As it was he merely accepted these facts and tried to stop his eyelids from sliding shut as he stifled another yawn. The walk out of the Everfree Forest had taken longer than before, due to everyone being thoroughly worn out, and it was now past midnight. Chris followed Twilight through the door and his heavy eyes instantly lit upon a couch pushed against a wall.

"The spare bedroom is just up this way," Twilight whispered as she began to climb the stairs. There was a heavy flump and she looked over her shoulder to see that Chris had collapsed face down on the couch. She giggled quietly and levitated a blanket out of the closet, draping it over him. Covering a yawn of her own she quietly trotted up the stairs to her bedroom. Walking over to her desk she unfurled a fresh scroll of paper and dipped her quill in the inkpot. She could hear her bed calling her name, but there was something she had to do first.

Dear Princess Celestia, she wrote.

I apologise for the late hour, but something amazing has happened here in Ponyville. Earlier today Pinkie Pie came into town with a creature form another world. His name is Chris and he seems really nice. Unfortunately we found out that there was no way for him to get back to his own world, not that he really seems to mind. I was wondering if you would allow him to stay in Ponyville, perhaps permanently. He said himself that he's really happy here.

Twilight paused. She was getting a bit off topic.

On another note I have discovered another lesson about friendship. Sometimes your friends become angry or confused and may do or say things they don't really mean. It's important to always be understanding of another pony's situation and to always be prepared to listen to them.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

_That ought to do it_, Twilight thought tiredly. She rolled up the scroll and sealed it before hanging it in front of Spike's face and tickling his nose. The baby dragon squirmed, crinkled his nose and sneezed, a small jet of flame shooting from his mouth and engulfing the scroll. Twilight watched as the small wisp of sparkly smoke sped out the window, before gratefully tucking herself into bed.

_What a day_, was the last thing she thought before sleep took her.

* * *

**And so we conclude the first arc of this fan fiction. Hooray! For those who are wondering, I probably won't be rewriting the episodes of the show with Chris in them. I might do a couple if I think Chris's presence will change them enough, but for the most part I'll be sticking to original story lines.**

**A question for you all: what jobs around Ponyville would you like to see Chris try out? Suggest any job you like (within reason).**

**See you all next time!**


	6. Chapter 6: Pancakes and Mail Service

**I just wanted to give a massive thank you to everyone who has favourited and followed this story. It really does make me want to keep going with it.**

**Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

Chris could feel the warm sunlight on his face, but he kept his eyes tightly shut. He didn't want to wake up. He wanted to keep dreaming. It had been a wonderful dream, if a bit odd. There had been a bunch of magical, talking ponies, which was a bit weird, but on the whole it had been perfect. For his first ever lucid dream it was definitely a tough act to follow. Still, back to reality.

Chris opened his eyes, blinking as the bright sunlight blinded him. Sitting up on the couch he looked around blearily. He was in a wide, round room, the walls lined with countless books. Across the room a flight of stairs lead upwards to the next floor and right in the middle was a small podium with a bust of a horse's head on top. For a few moments Chris's tired brain struggled to comprehend his surroundings. _It wasn't a dream_ he realised. A wide smile split his face as he struggled to contain a wild shout of joy, not wanting to break the silence of the library. _Twilight must still be sleeping_, Chris thought. His eyes scanned the walls until they fastened on an old fashioned cuckoo clock. _It's only quarter to seven_, Chris thought as he rubbed his eyes. _Why am I up so early?_ With a yawn he stood up, the thick blanket sliding onto the floor, and stretched, working the kinks out of his neck. _Never sleeping on a couch again,_ he thought ruefully. After folding the blanket nicely and placing it on the couch Chris decided to look around. Wandering around the room, tracing his fingers of the spines of the books, a couple of titles stood out to him. History of Equestria, Basic Magical Theory, Places You Should Avoid But Will Probably End Up Going To Anyway. _I'm going to do a lot of reading_, he realised.

Finished looking at the books for now, Chris walked through a door into what was apparently the kitchen. Cupboards were set high on the wall above a gas stovetop and oven. A recipe book sat on the bench next to the sink and a table was pushed off to one side. Chris raised an eyebrow and picked up the recipe book, flipping through the pages. _Maybe I could make a little thank you present…_

* * *

Consciousness slowly came back to Twilight as she lay tucked up in her bed. The first thing she noticed was that something smelt good. Really good. Sweet, sugary scents wafted tantalisingly past her nose and her stomach growled loudly, making her keenly aware that she hadn't had any dinner last night. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes groggily she peered over the edge of her bed. Spike was still fast asleep in his basket, snoring peacefully and powerfully. A frown creased her features before she remembered her current house guest. "Does Chris know how to cook?" she asked herself. Nothing seemed to be on fire so she assumed he could. Plodding tiredly down the stairs she crossed the main room into the kitchen.

"Good morning," Chris sang from the stove, where he was holding a spatula and carefully watching two pans that were sizzling quietly.

"Morning," Twilight mumbled.

Chris looked over, grinning widely. "You look wonderful," he teased.

"Oh shut up," Twilight said with a smile. "What are you cooking?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes and fried banana."

"Really?"

"What's with the tone of surprise?"

"I didn't think you could cook," Twilight admitted.

Chris shrugged as he flipped the pancake. "I have hidden depths. Consider it a thank you for letting me stay here."

"Mmm, something smells good Twilight. What are you- uh?"

Chris looked back at the door and immediately locked eyes with a small purple lizard standing on its back legs, staring at him with a bemused expression. A row of rounded green spines went over his head and down his back, looking a bit like a spiky modern hairstyle. A pair of lighter green frills stood in place of ears on either side of his head and his underbelly was covered in very pale green scales.

"Oh right! I haven't introduced you two yet," Twilight said brightly. "Chris, this is Spike my number one assistant. Spike, this is Chris. I told you about him yesterday afternoon."

"Oh yeah," Spike frowned. "You said something about him yelling at Pinkie Pie then running off." He shot Chris a sideways glare.

"I apologised for that," Chris said quickly. He didn't really want Spike angry at him. He could see a pair of sharp looking fangs jutting over his bottom lip. Fortunately this seemed good enough for Spike.

"Okay then. What are you cooking?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes and fried banana."

"Fried banana?" Spike asked. "Why would you want to fry a banana?"

"It caramelises the sugars in the banana. Trust me it's really nice."

Suddenly there was a sharp rapping on the door. Twilight looked curiously over her shoulder. "Who could that be this early? You two keep getting to know each other," she said as she walked out of the kitchen, "I'll be back in just a second."

For a long while there was silence in the kitchen. Chris could hear the muffled sounds of Twilight's conversation with their early morning guest. Now that it was just him and Spike had didn't have a clue what to say.

Spike seemed to be having the same problem. "So…" he said slowly. "Are you… enjoying Ponyville?"

"So far," Chris replied. "How long have you known Twilight for?"

"My whole life. She used her magic to hatch me when she was just a filly."

"And what about the others?"

"Oh, not very long. Twilight and I only came to Ponyville a couple of years ago."

Once again they lapsed into silence. Chris scooped the pancake out of the pan and put it on a plate in the oven to keep warm. _That makes three_, he thought as he poured more batter into the pan. _I might be able to get another couple out of what's left_.

"Do you like the others," Spike said nervously.

_Where's he going with this?_ Chris thought as he scooped the bananas from the second pan and plopped one more in. "Um, yeah. They're all really nice."

"Cool," Spike replied. _He looks worried about something_, Chris thought. "I don't really think you're Rarity's type though."

_Wait, what?!_ "Huh? Where the heck did that come from?" Suddenly Chris noticed the way Spike was looking everywhere but his face and the slight blush that coloured his cheeks. Something clicked. "Do you fancy Rarity?" he asked before he could stop himself.

The look of alarm on Spike's face made Chris mentally slapped himself. _Subtle_. "Okay yes I do but please you can't tell anypony. Promise?"

"Your secret is safe with me," Chris said with an easy smile. "And don't worry. I have no intention of getting 'involved' with anypony in the foreseeable future." Spike breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Thanks," he said.

"So what does being Twilight's number one assistant entail?"

"I help organise the library and send letters to Princess Celestia," Spike said, looking thankful at the change of topic.

At that moment Twilight came back in, trying to flatten her mane with her hoof. "You could have told me I had bed-head," she grumbled.

"I thought it best not to say anything," Chris said with a smirk.

"You know your hair isn't in much of a better shape."

"Good thing I didn't answer the door then," Chris replied smartly as he flipped the pancake._ Perfectly brown,_ he noted.

"Hey how long is breakfast going to be?" Spike interrupted.

"Spike! You have to be patient," Twilight admonished.

"But I'm hungry!"

"So am I, but it's still rude to ask questions like that."

"Its fine Twilight," Chris said. "It should only be about five more minutes. Ten tops."

Precisely six minutes and twenty three seconds later, according to Spike, all three of them were sitting around the table, digging into the expertly prepared breakfast.

"These are awesome!" Spike praised.

"Mmh." Chris assumed that was Twilight agreeing. Her cheeks were fit to explode with the amount of pancake and banana she had shovelled in.

Chris had to admit, he did a damn good job.

Soon enough every pancake had been devoured and everyone was feeling well and truly stuffed. Chris leaned back and sighed contentedly. _What should I do today?_ he wondered. His musings were interrupted by a small "urp" from across the table. Spike's cheeks were bulging, like he was about to be sick.

"Are you feeling ok-" Chris was suddenly interrupted a loud belch as a small wisp of sparkling smoke shot from his mouth and swirled in mid-air before collapsing in on itself and transforming into a small scroll, tied with a red ribbon with a golden seal.

"Oh good! The Princess replied," Twilight cheered, grabbing the scroll with her magic.

"Replied to what?" Spike asked while Chris gaped at them.

"The letter I sent her last night."

"I don't remember sending her anything last night."

"I made you sneeze."

"I'm sorry," Chris interjected. "But what the hell just happened?"

"That's how the Princess and I send letters to each other," Twilight explained as she unfurled the letter. "Spike can use his fire breath to send objects from one place to another."

"Fire breath?"

"Oh that's right," Twilight realised, "I never told you. Spike's a dragon."

Chris felt his brain screech to an ungainly halt. "A… dragon," he said slowly. _Why is this so hard to process?!_

"Yeah, why? Don't you have dragons where you come from?" Spike asked curiously.

"No. No we don't," Chris said, his brain booting back into gear. "So what was the letter about?" he asked, trying to pull the conversation back into the waters of relevance.

"Oh, I just told her about you. Don't worry," she said as Chris frowned, "I didn't tell her about your parents. I only told her that Pinkie brought you here, that you didn't want to go back and that you were nice."

Chris relaxed. "Thanks. What did she say?"

"Read it for yourself," Twilight said as she passed the scroll to him. It read, in graceful flowing writing;

To my dearest Twilight.

I am pleased to hear that you are continuing to learn about the magic of friendship even now-

"The magic of friendship?" _That sounds a little silly even for this place_.

"Just read, I'll explain later."

-even now that you are a princess. I am also most curious about this creature from another world. Princess Luna and I would very much like to meet with him and talk. Therefore we shall be visiting Ponyville in two days at noon. Until then, why not try to learn more about him or show him around Ponyville? It would be a good way to spend both your time.

Yours,

Princess Celestia.

PS If you are reading this Chris, I would like to welcome you to Equestria. As long as you bear my little ponies no ill will, you are more than welcome in this fair country. I'm looking forward to meeting you.

"Well she sounds very positive," Chris commented. "Should be an interesting talk."

"Is Celestia coming round?" Spike asked.

"Yes, in two days," Twilight answered. "I should start planning everything for her visit. After the last couple of times I don't want anything going wrong."

"I really don't think you need to plan anything Twilight," Chris reasoned. "It sounds like it'll be pretty informal."

"Yeah, you're right," Twilight said, sounding like she was trying to reassure herself. "I just need to stay calm. Maybe I should do one of the things the Princess suggested."

"I like the sound of a tour around Ponyville. But first," Chris said, "I need a shower."

Twilight giggled, relaxing. "I wasn't going to say anything, but you do smell a bit."

"Hey!"

Twilight covered her laugh with a hoof. "Come on. I'll show you to the bathroom."

As Chris followed her out of the kitchen Spike called after them, "I think I'll stay here for now. I think I ate too much."

"Also, if it's not too much trouble, would you be able to give my clothes a wash? Chris asked as he trailed Twilight up the stairs. "I'd rather not be wandering around Ponyville in muddy clothes,"

"Sure. I know a clothing repair spell so I can fix up the rips and tears as well. Here it is," she said, stopping in front of a non-descript door.

"Thanks," Chris said with a smile.

"Hang on a second," she said as Chris went to enter. He gave her a questioning look. "What about your clothes? You'll need to give them to me if you want them washed."

Chris looked confused for a second, then grinned. "Rule one about humans Twilight," he explained. "We usually prefer to keep our clothes on. The exceptions are when we're alone or when we intend on getting intimate with someone."

The look of alarm and the blush that flashed over Twilight's face was priceless. "Exactly," he said as he entered the bathroom and closed the door. "Just give me a sec." There was a rustling of fabric and the door opened a crack, Chris's hand sticking out, holding his clothes in a tight bundle. Quickly grabbing them with her magic, Twilight trotted off to the laundry room, her cheeks a still little red.

Cleaning and repairing the clothes was easy enough, although some parts confused her. She frowned curiously at a triangular piece of cloth and two tube sort of things that she didn't remember seeing him wearing. One quick wash-and-dry spell later and the clothes looked pristine. _Except for the holes_, Twilight thought with a grin as she set to work repairing the various gashes. Within minutes everything looked good as new. Pleased with her hoof-work she folded the clothing neatly and walked back to the bathroom. From behind the door she could hear running water and, surprisingly, singing. Listening carefully she could make out the lyrics.

"Sweet dreams are made of these

Who am I to disagree?

Travelled the world and the seven seas

Everybody's looking for something."

Placing the pile next to the door, Twilight trotted away, the melancholy tune following her down the hall.

_He has a nice singing voice_, she thought absently.

* * *

**Hooray for the longest chapter yet. Or, if you don't like long chapters, boo for the longest chapter yet. I like to cater to everyone.**

**If you haven't tried fried banana with your pancakes I suggest you do so immediately. It is good.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Trio of Trouble

**Sorry it's been a bit between chapters. I got distracted with Minecraft. For a game with virtually no storyline it really sucks you in.**

**Anyway, it's time for Chris's grand tour of Ponyville! Read on!**

* * *

_Twilight did a really nice job_, Chris thought as he pulled his shirt over his head. It was once again a crisp white and all the tears had been seamlessly fixed. _There's not even any stitching_, Chris marvelled. His jeans were a similar story. All traces of mud had been removed and the knees had been fully repaired. His sneakers were looking better than he had ever seen them. Inspecting his reflection in the mirror, Chris straightened his shirt, then turned around and admired the view from the back. _I am such a narcissist_, he thought absently as he exited the bathroom.

Chris could hear voices coming from the main room as he walked down the hallway. Entering the room he was surprised to find Twilight chatting with Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Spike was sitting across the room making googly eyes at Rarity. _Very secretive_, Chris thought.

"Hey Chris," Rainbow called.

"Hi. What are you all doing here?"

"We thought we should check in on ya," Applejack replied while the others nodded. "Make sure you were settlin' in ok."

"Thanks. I'm settling in just fine."

"We know, Twilight was just telling us about the breakfast you made," Rarity said. "It's a shame we missed it."

"Especially since there was fried banana!" Pinkie cried. "It sounds like such a great idea. I should try it sometime!"

"The trick is to fry them in their skins," Chris advised. "Helps to keep the sugars in. Or something like that. Did Twilight tell you about Celestia's letter?"

"Yes she did, and if you're going to meet with the Princess you simply must procure some formal attire," Rarity stated in a 'no arguments' tone.

"Do you still not like my clothes?" Chris asked with a grin.

Rarity rolled her eyes. "I admit they're better now that they're not torn and covered in dirt, but I still think they could do with some sprucing up."

"Well maybe we could stop by your boutique today," Chris suggested. "Twilight's going to show me around Ponyville. Would you guys like to come with?"

The ponies all agreed. "It sounds wonderful," Rarity chimed. "But first we should do something about your hair."

"If you come anywhere near me with scissors-"

"Oh don't make such a fuss," Rarity chided. "It just needs a good brush. Twilight do you have a hairbrush handy?"

"Upstairs in my room."

"Thank you darling. I'll be back in a moment," Rarity called as she trotted up the stairs.

Chris turned to the others, who were all looking very amused. "Help me," he whimpered.

They all shook their heads. Chris was on his own.

"Here it is. Now hold still."

"Ow! Hey, be careful!"

"Sorry but it's a bit-"

"OW!"

"-knotty back here."

"Pulling my - gah! - scalp off isn't going to help!"

"Oh don't be ridiculous."

"Ouch!"

"There, all done," Rarity said, finally leaving Chris's hair alone. He rubbed his head ruefully.

"Next time just give me the hairbrush and I'll do it myself, thank you very much," Chris snapped.

Twilight quickly stifled a giggled and said, "Alright then, shall we get going?"

"Lead on."

* * *

"Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! You gotta hear this!" Scootaloo yelled as her scooter screeched to a halt.

"Slow down Scoots," Apple Bloom chided. "You could hurt somepony goin' that fast."

"Sorry Apple Bloom," the orange filly replied as she removed her helmet, "but I just heard the coolest rumour."

"You remember what happened last time we got involved with rumours, don't you?" Sweetie Belle cautioned. The Gabby Gums incident still made her feel uncomfortable.

"Don't worry Sweetie, it's not us spreading the rumours this time. I heard some ponies in town talking about some strange creature they saw."

"Strange creature?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle asked excitedly.

"Yeah, that's what everypony's saying," Scootaloo replied, just as excited as her friend. "I also heard that it came from the Everfree Forest and that it chased some ponies down the main road and into Sugarcube corner!"

"Oh my," Sweetie gasped. "It sounds dangerous."

"Sure does, but I don't see what's so important about it," Apple Bloom said.

"Well we never got to try out creature catching when we stayed at Fluttershy's," Scootaloo explained, "so I figure that this'll be a good time to try out that cutie mark!"

"Good idea Scoots," Apple Bloom praised.

"Let's go catch that creature!" Sweetie Belle declared.

"Alright then! Cutie Mark Crusaders Creature Catchers are a go!"

"YAY!"

* * *

"… and over there's Quills and Sofas," Twilight pointed to the large store on the corner.

"I wonder what they sell," Chris said.

"Quills and sofas silly," Pinkie Pie chirped as she bounced along beside him.

"It was sarcasm Pinkie."

So far Chris's tour of Ponyville had taken the group in a large circle around the town, past the town hall and through the market. Along the way he had been introduced to a lot of ponies, all of whom had asked the same two questions; what are you and where do you come from? Chris was almost considering pulling out Pinkie's giant sign. Fortunately they were nearing the end of the tour.

"And here we are, my own shop, Carousel Boutique," Rarity announced.

The building was… well Chris could think of no other word than froufrou. It looked like a cross between a two story house and a fairy princess palace. The whole thing was a barrage of different colours, blue, pink, purple, gold, white, all standing out from the others yet blending in perfectly. Intricate details and elegant structures covered every surface and a large sign with a carousel horse emblazoned on it stood right above the door. In Chris's opinion, it didn't just toe the line between showy and tacky. It danced a samba on it.

"I think I know why you find my clothes too plain Rarity," Chris said.

"Why's that?"

"Because you're so used to ridiculously over-designed things."

Rarity looked affronted. "Well, just because you have no taste for fashion, does not mean my house is 'over-designed'."

"If you say so."

* * *

"Have we got everything ready?"

"Yep. Ah' got the net, the rope an' the helmets."

"Aren't those just pots?" Sweetie Belle asked dubiously.

"I had ta' improvise, okay?" Apple Bloom snapped, annoyed that Sweetie had criticised her choice of protective headgear.

"Come on girls, focus," Scootaloo urged. "Are we all clear on the plan?"

"Find the creature," Sweetie Belle said.

"Catch it," Apple Bloom recited.

"And return it to the Everfree Forest," Scootaloo finished. "This'll be a piece of cake."

* * *

The scene inside the upstairs workroom in Carousel Boutique was one of utter boredom. Chris and Rarity were sitting at a small table covered in sketches of different pieces of human fashion. Spike was helping out Rarity, pinning yet more sketches to the walls and bringing her more pencils whenever she needed them. Twilight and Fluttershy had pulled out Rarity's chessboard and were in the middle of an intense tactical struggle involving Twilight's queen and both of Fluttershy's bishops. Rainbow Dash was fast asleep on the couch, and Applejack looked ready to drop off at any moment. Pinkie Pie was working on a colouring book with a large pack of crayons. Chris wasn't sure where the book or the crayons had come from. He hadn't felt inclined to ask.

"Come on Rarity," Chris groaned. "You've been asking me questions about clothes for two hours."

"I'm sorry darling, but this is all so fascinating. There are so many ideas and designs that I could use in my own work. Although," Rarity conceded, seeing Chris's expression, "I probably have enough to be getting on with for now. We can stop if you like."

Chris heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you Rarity. I'm going down to get a drink. Would anyone else like one?"

"I would like a glass of water, seeing as you're offering," Rarity said.

"Could I have one with a slice of lemon in it please?" Fluttershy called softly.

"I'm fine for now, but thanks for offering," said Twilight.

"I'm fine sugar cube," Applejack mumbled.

"Alright, be back in a second," Chris called as he walked down the stairs.

"Now then," Rarity said to herself as she stretched out her legs. "What should I work on first?"

"… And checkmate," Twilight said victoriously.

Fluttershy looked blankly at the board before noticing the trap her king had fallen into. "Oh my, I didn't even see that."

"You did a lot better this time Fluttershy," Twilight encouraged. "You saved your king quite a few times."

"Thanks Twilight, but I'm still not as good as you," Fluttershy complimented.

Twilight shrugged nonchalantly. "I've been playing chess for years. But you did really well for a first-timer."

Fluttershy beamed and opened her mouth to reply. Suddenly there was a tremendous SLAM from downstairs. Fluttershy let out a small squeak and jumped into the air, Applejack's head shot up and Rainbow awoke with a small snort.

"Wassat?" she asked blearily.

"CUITE MARK CRUSADERS CREATURE CATCHERS! YAY!"

"Uh oh," Rarity said.

"I'm not sure Chris is ready ta meet those three just yet," Applejack said as she headed for the stairs with the others following just behind her. As they entered the main room of the Boutique they were met with one of the strangest sights they had seen.

Chris was standing in the middle of the room, draped in a net and looking very confused. Scootaloo was standing off to the side wearing a saucepan on her head and holding a thick rope in her mouth. Apple Bloom was holding the other end of the rope and running in circles around Chris, tying him from head to foot. She too was wearing a pot as an impromptu helmet. Finally, Sweetie Belle was standing right in front of them, wearing a colander and looking very pleased with their work.

"Sweetie Belle!?" Rarity yelled.

Sweetie turned and let out a gasp. "Rarity, you're ok!" she cried, evidently relieved as she bounded forward and wrapped her sister in a tight hug.

"Sweetie Belle, what are you-"

"Don't worry Rarity," Sweetie proclaimed, apparently not hearing Rarity. "We've got everything under control."

"No need to fank uf," Apple Bloom said around the rope in her mouth, still circling Chris.

"Now to return it to the Everfree Forest," Scootaloo ordered. "Do you think it'll fit in the wagon?"

Now, Chris had been very patient up till this point. It wasn't being tied up that made him lose his cool. It wasn't the last two frustratingly dull hours. It wasn't even the lack of sleep he'd had last night. It was the fact that his ego simply couldn't handle him being referred to as an 'it'.

"Everyone SHUT UP!" he roared. Everyone froze, staring at him. Fixing the yellow filly in front of him with glare that could cut rock he said, very calmly, "Drop the rope. Now."

The filly obeyed instantly, and the rope falling around Chris's ankles. He quickly clawed his way out of the net while the three fillies gaped at him.

"You can talk?" The yellow one said eventually.

"Yes I can," Chris said coolly. "And if you three had stopped and thought for a second before rushing in, you would have found that out a mite sooner."

"But we heard…" The orange one trailed off.

"Hmm?" Chris raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"We heard a rumour that there was a dangerous creature in town," The yellow one said, avoiding Chris's gaze.

"And when we saw you in here, we assumed it was you," The white one finished as she walked over to stand beside her compatriots.

For a short while there was silence. "We're sorry for trying to catch you," the filly's chorused, starring down at their hooves.

Chris sighed and smiled softly. "Apology accepted. Just remember to stop and do some investigating before assuming a rumour is true." The fillies smiled back and nodded sheepishly.

"Now, take off the pots and introduce yourselves," Chris said. "My name's Chris. What are your names?"

"Ah'm Apple Bloom, Applejack sister," the yellow one said proudly. Her mane and tail were red and sported a large pink bow. Her eyes were a curious mix of red and orange.

"My name's Sweetie Belle," the white unicorn said. Her mane and tail were fashionably curled and striped pale pink and purple. Her eyes were mint green.

"And I'm Scootaloo," the orange pegasus finished. Her mane, tail and eyes were dark purple, contrasting powerfully with her orange coat.

"And we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" They shouted together.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Chris asked, not sure what that meant.

"Eeyup."

"We're crusading," Scootaloo said.

"For our cutie marks," Sweetie Belle added.

"Speaking of which," Apple Bloom said. All three of them looked back at their flanks, hoping to see a cutie mark.

"Still nothing," Scootaloo said dejectedly.

"I suppose we didn't really do any creature catching though," Sweetie Belle reasoned.

"Still these helmets gave me an idea," Apple Bloom announced brightly. "We could try blacksmithing!"

The other two instantly perked up. "Great idea Apple Bloom," Scootaloo praised.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sweetie Belle cried, and before anyone could suggest perhaps a safer idea, the three energetic fillies had raced out of the Boutique with a shout of "Cutie Mark Crusaders Blacksmiths! Yay!"

For a few moments no one could find anything to say.

"Are they always like that?" Chris eventually asked.

"Pretty much," Applejack said with a wry grin.

"Now, Chris. I'll need to get your measurements if I'm going to make you some nicer outfits."

Chris heaved a sigh and followed Rarity up the stairs. _When will it end?_ he thought to himself.

* * *

**Another chapter down! Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, favourited and/or followed. It really means a lot to me.**

**Today's question: What kind of crazy misadventures would you like to see Chris and the CMC get up to?**

**See you all next time!**


	8. Chapter 8: Coincidence?

Chris sighed as he stretched languidly under the covers of his bed in the library's guest bedroom, wearing a brand new pair of periwinkle silk pyjamas, courtesy of Rarity. That, he decided, was the best night's sleep he'd ever had. He didn't know what these ponies made their beds out of but it was officially the most comfortable thing in the history of ever. With a wide yawn he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The guest bedroom was a rather simple affair. The bed was pushed against the wall and a large chest of drawers with a mirror on top sat at the foot of it. A large round window was set in the wall opposite the door, underneath which was a small but solid writing desk. The final wall was a bookcase, stuffed full of books with covers of all colours.

Chris yawned again, part of him considering just going back to sleep. Other parts, presumably those closet to his stomach and bladder, were urging him to get out of bed. Grudgingly, Chris accepted the inevitable and threw off the blankets. Still yawning, he made his way down the hall to the bathroom.

After he'd relieved himself and splashed some cold water on his face Chris felt much more awake. And hungrier, he realised as his stomach growled loudly. Trotting downstairs into the main room he was surprised to see Twilight already awake in the middle of what Chris could only describe as a study cocoon. There was a chalkboard, a pile of notebooks taller than he was, several dozen quills, a small mountain of ink pots and a large mountain of books on just about every subject. Twilight was observing it all with a slightly manic grin.

"Morning Twilight," Chris said, feeling slightly concerned.

Twilight gasped in evident delight. "Oh good! You're finally awake," she cheered as she pranced over.

"I think so. What's all this about?"

Twilight's smile seemed to grow even wider. "Well I remembered how the Princess said I could try to learn more about your species and I thought it was such a wonderful idea. So I started coming up with all these questions to ask and then I realised that there was so much I could teach you about Equestria. So I got all the materials we'd need for a giant study session! Yay!" In Chris's opinion, Twilight seemed far too excited about the idea as she clapped her hooves together. With a sigh he resigned himself to another long day of talking about things he didn't really understand.

"Alright then," he said. "But first let me have some breakfast and get dressed. I don't want to hang around in my PJs all day."

* * *

Rarity hummed happily to herself as she walked through Ponyville with three white boxes stacked on her back, each tied with a red ribbon. Chris's new outfits had taken her most of the day, but it had been so worthwhile, she reflected. It was such a fascinating challenge working on an outfit for a completely different body shape. Sure it had been tricky at first, but Rarity had persevered and come through with her usual fabulosity. Although she may have overdone it a tad, she thought wryly. Chris had only asked for a couple of outfits, not three whole boxes of clothes. Still, he now had a wardrobe ready for any situation, something Rarity was happy to provide.

And so Rarity felt quite contented as she knocked on the door of Golden Oak Library. The door was quickly opened by Spike, whose cheeks went slightly red when he saw who it was.

'Oh, hi Rarity," he said with a goofy grin.

"Hello Spike," Rarity replied with a wide smile. He was always so adorable when he blushed. "Chris wouldn't happen to be – oh my," she gasped as she looked past Spike.

"I know," Spike agreed. "I've only seen her go off like this a few times. Come on in, Chris is just over there."

Rarity followed Spike into the library, staring in awe at the massive pile of books that was scattered over most of the floor. A chalkboard sat off to one side, the whole thing taken up by a massive Venn diagram. Both circles were filled to the brim with miniscule, cramped writing. In the middle of the book-splosion sat Twilight Sparkle, her mane frayed and tangled. Numerous notebooks filled with scribbles floated around her, along with several heavy looking textbooks. Even as Rarity watched Twilight gave a frustrated growl and lobbed one of the textbooks over her shoulder. Chris was reclining on a large pillow on the opposite side of the room, casually sipping on a glass of lemonade.

"Hey Rarity," he called. "What's that you got there?"

Rarity pulled her eyes off Twilight's maddened study frenzy and gave Chris a beaming smile. "These are your new outfits, darling."

Chris frowned at the pile on her back. "Three boxes? But I only asked for two or three outfits."

"Oh I know dear," Rarity replied as she magically lifted the boxes and set them on the floor. "But sometimes I get a bit caught up in my work. I may have ended up making a few more than intended."

At once Chris looked apologetic. "You didn't have to do all that just for me Rarity."

"Oh don't be silly dear, I was happy to do it," she insisted.

"Alright then," Chris said, still a bit uncomfortable with all the work Rarity had done just for him. "I promise I'll pay you back someday."

"Consider them a present dear. No, I won't hear anything against it," she said as Chris opened his mouth to argue.

Chris seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before shrugging. "If you insist."

"Very much so."

Chris grinned widely and wrapped Rarity in a quick hug. "You're awesome, you know that?"

Rarity smiled back. "I have been told." A flurry of movement across the room caught her eye and her smile faltered as she turned back to Twilight. The lavender unicorn had hurtled a couple of notebooks across the room, quickly replacing them with three new ones. She had also begun to mutter quietly to herself. Rarity could just make out the phrase "there has to be an answer" repeated over and over.

"Is… Twilight alright?" she asked tentatively.

"Uh... not really. I think she's going a little loopy." Rarity had to wonder about Chris's definition of 'a little'.

"Whatever managed to put her into such a state?"

"Well," Chris said thoughtfully. "I guess it sort of started when she realised that humans and ponies use the same alphabet."

"Really? How strange," Rarity wondered.

"That's what she said. Then we found that there are a lot of cities in Equestria that are like those in my world. Las Pegasus, Las Vegas. Manehattan, Manhattan. It sort of went downhill from there," Chris grimaced. "We kept finding all these weird similarities, way too many to be called coincidence, and Twilight just kept getting more and more obsessed with it. And, well, here we are."

"That definitely sounds like Twilight," Rarity admitted.

"I've tried to get her to drop it but she keeps telling me she'll work it out if it's the last thing she does. So I figured it was just better to let her burn herself out and give it up. It's also kind of amusing to watch," he admitted with a guilty grin.

"Oh I don't think that's such a good idea," Rarity cautioned. Chris gave her a questioning look and she explained. "That I know of, she's only been this worked up twice. The first time she ended up in a wheelchair with casts on her legs and the other she caused a town-wide riot."

"Huh," Chris said after a pause. "Maybe I should let her off the hook then."

Rarity glared at him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

Chris flashed her a roguish grin. "Just watch. Hey Twilight," he called over. Twilight's head snapped around, her pupils contracted to pinpricks, silently daring him to tell her to drop it. Chris, to his credit, seemed completely at ease. "What if it's like a parallel dimension, where things are similar but also different?"

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. Twilight was staring at Chris with a stunned expression. Chris looked like he was enjoying himself. Rarity wasn't sure what was going on, but felt it was important to remain quiet.

"That…" Twilight said slowly. "Could… actually make sense." Excitement seeped into her face as she bounded to her feet quickly picking up a couple of textbooks and flipping through the pages. "Yes!" she cheered. "That could well explain everything! Did you figure that out just now Chris?"

"Actually I thought of it about an hour and a half ago."

Again, silence thicker than cement. Very slowly, Twilight turned to face Chris, who was still grinning.

"But I've been trying to figure this out for-"

"About two hours," Chris finished. Rarity wished he'd stop grinning.

Twilight's eye twitched. "So you could have told me after half an hour?" Chris nodded. Her mane started to spark at the edges. "Why didn't you?"

"You told me to be quiet," Chris said innocently. At this point Twilight lost it completely. Her mane exploded into a wild inferno, her coat turned white-hot and her eyes changed to a deadly red. The fire show only lasted for a few seconds before Twilight went out. Her head drooped and she breathed deeply as she glared at Chris.

"I'm going to be in my room," She said icily, before stomping up the stairs.

For a long while, Rarity couldn't think of anything to say. "That was kind of mean," she said eventually.

"Maybe a little," Chris conceded. "I'll apologise tomorrow."

"Yes, it's probably best to give her a little space at the moment," Rarity agreed. Both of them could hear the angry muttering drifting down from upstairs. Chris could just make out the swear words and threats of violent injury.

"Maybe I should lock my door tonight. Just in case."

* * *

**Welcome back everypony! Thanks for reading and remember to favourite and follow. Seriously, do it. Go on. The buttons are right there. You know you want to.**

**On a side note I cannot spell Rarity right on the first go. It keeps coming out Rairty. What's with that?**


	9. Chapter 9: One Heck of a Party!

"I said I was sorry Twilight," Chris sighed as he munched on his cornflakes. Twilight replied with an angry glare and a cold "hmph" before walking out of the kitchen with her nose in the air.

"Don't worry about her too much Chris," Spike said as he ate his own cornflakes, which were liberally sprinkled in tiny rubies. "She just needs a bit more time to cool off, that's all."

"I just wish she'd stop glaring at me like that," Chris admitted in a hushed voice. "I feel like she's going to slice me in half every time she does."

Spike sniggered into his cereal. When do the Princesses get here?"

"At about noon, I think."

"EXACTLY noon," Twilight shouted from the other room. "So you'd better be ready when she gets here."

Chris sighed. "Are you sure she'll cool down?"

"Don't worry, she will. Probably."

"That's comforting."

* * *

Twilight was busy putting all the books back into their proper places. She hadn't realised at the time just how much she'd messed up the library in her studying frenzy. She shot a scowl up the stairs as she levitated several books back onto the shelves. Chris had gone upstairs a few minutes before to have a shower and dress. She held the glower for a few more moments then gave a tired sigh. She knew she couldn't stay mad at him forever. Sure it had been a bit of a mean prank, but in the end it had been relatively harmless.

"How do I look?"

Twilight looked back at the stairs as Chris walked down, wearing a set of brand new clothes. He was dressed in a pale blue dress shirt, a black waistcoat, dark blue jeans and a blue pair of shoes she remembered he called Converse.

"Very classy," Twilight complimented with a smile. Chris noticed the friendly tone and smile, but tactfully decided not to mention it.

"So now I guess we just have to wait," he sighed.

Suddenly there was a sharp tapping on the front door. Chris was closest and swung the door open with a friendly smile. It quickly turned to a look of confusion when he beheld an empty doorway.

"Who is it?" Twilight called as she picked up some more books.

"No one. Oh hang on, there's a letter."

Twilight looked curiously over her shoulder as Chris closed the door and tore open the envelope.

"Dear Twilight, Chris and Spike," he read. "Would you all please meet me at Sugarcube Corner as soon as possible? Love, Pinkie Pie. Odd," Chris looked up at Twilight. "Why do you think she wants us to meet her?"

"It could be anything with Pinkie Pie," Twilight pointed out. She carefully placed the last book into its proper spot on the shelf. "I'm all finished cleaning up. Let's get going. Spike," she called up the stairs.

There was the sound of someone spitting, then, "Yeah?"

"Pinkie invited us to Sugarcube Corner. Are you all ready to go?"

"Just let me finish brushing my teeth," Spike called.

Once Spike had joined them they exited the library and headed down the road to Sugarcube Corner, all the while throwing around theories about Pinkie's invitation.

"Maybe it's another load of baked bads," Spike suggested, licking his lips.

"Baked bads?" Chris asked.

"Really terrible cupcakes," Twilight explained. "Applejack accidentally helped Pinkie bake them once when she was over-tired."

"How really terrible?"

"They caused a medical emergency."

"Yikes. Hey, does it seem rather quiet to you?"

Twilight looked around, noticing that they hadn't passed any other ponies on their way through town. "Where is everypony?" she wondered.

"Do you think it could be zombie-ponies this time?" Spike said, terrified at the thought.

"Doubt it," Twilight said.

"There's Sugarcube Corner," Chris announced as the ginger-bread building came into view. "Maybe we'll find some answers there."

He noticed, though, that Sugarcube Corner seemed rather dark. No lights were on and Chris found himself feeling slightly nervous as he climbed the steps and pushed the door open. Inside everything was pitch black. Chris could her hushed whispers surrounding him on all sides. Then the lights clicked on and there was a great roar of "SURPRISE" as nearly every pony in Ponyville popped out of their hiding places. Chris, to his credit, handled this rather well, with only the slightest of flinches betraying his shock. The sound of party hooters filled the air, confetti and streamers rained from the ceiling and Chris found himself hugged ferociously by Pinkie Pie.

"I'm so glad you guys could make it! At first I was worried that you wouldn't be able to come and that would be no fun because you can't have a party without the guest of honour, but you are here so now I know this party will be a blast." Much of this was lost on Chris, who was struggling to breathe in Pinkie's crushing grip.

"What's all this for Pinkie?" Twilight asked.

Pinkie suddenly released Chris and frowned at Twilight. "Don't you remember? When Chris first came here we agreed we'd have a party in three days. And that was three days ago." Pinkie suddenly looked very proud. "I promised that I would throw the bestest party for Chris ever. And by gum, when Pinkie makes a promise, she keeps it," Pinkie finished, blowing a large pink bubble. Twilight didn't even ask where she got the gum from.

"I'd completely forgotten that," Chris admitted. "It's a good thing we've got you around Pinkie."

"You bet it is. Now I've got to go make sure that everypony's having a good time. Have fun Chris!" And with that Pinkie bounced away, as full of high spirits and energy as always.

Chris shook his head. "Talking to her always feels…"

"Overwhelming?" Twilight supplied.

"Exactly."

"Now that's one thing ya never quite get used to," Applejack said as she trotted over, followed by Rarity, who was looking at his outfit with evident approval.

"That's a very sharp look you've crafted for yourself darling," she said.

Chris grinned. "Thanks. I was going for a combination of casual and sophisticated."

"Well you've definitely achieved it."

Chris grinned wider as he wandered over to the snacks table, which was piled high with all sorts of treats as well as a giant bowl of punch. "Where are Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash?" he asked.

Applejack waved her hoof in the direction of the crowd. "Over there… somewhere," she said vaguely.

"That's helpful," Chris commented dryly. "We'll never find them in that crowd. They can fly over it, so we'll wait for them to find us."

"Wait's over," Rainbow said as she landed in front of them, closely followed by Fluttershy. "Pinkie sure knows how to throw a party, right?"

"That she does," Chris agreed, popping a small yellow candy into his mouth. To everyone's surprise his face screwed up and he made a curious "mph" sound before spitting the sweet into the far corner of the room.

"Oh my god," he gasped, looking horrified. "I don't know what that was but it was horrible. It was like concentrated essence of a demon-lemon."

"Oh yeah, those are my new Super-Duper Super Sour Lemon Treats," Pinkie Pie chirped as she bounced over. "They're pretty good aren't they?" Pinkie didn't seem to catch Chris's incredulous stare as she ate one of the sweets and bounced away humming.

Rainbow burst into peals of laughter. "The look on your face," she gasped. "It was hilarious, ha ha!"

"I'd like to see you do any better," Chris challenged. A competitive grin grew on Rainbow's face.

"You're on," she said, grabbing one of the lemon treats. As soon as it hit her tongue, her eyes widened and her face puckered. A small tear formed in her eye before she spat it into the same corner. Chris was bent double with laughter.

"You're right, that is pretty funny."

Rainbow quickly recovered her competitiveness. "Oh yeah? Well I bet I can hold one of those in my mouth longer than you can."

Chris grinned back at her. "You're on."

Both of them grabbed another treat from the bowl. "On three," Chris said. "One… two… three!"

The others looked on in fascination as the two competitor's faces contorted and puckered. Chris grabbed onto the table for support while Rainbow simply wobbled in place, seemingly unable to move. Then, suddenly, their faces cleared and turned surprised.

"Huh," Rainbow said.

"You know once you get past the insanely sour outside these are kinda nice," Chris said.

"I still think I'll pass," said Twilight. Chris rolled his eyes.

"Pansies," he said. Twilight's reply was to blow a raspberry at him.

"Hey Chris," Pinkie called. "Some of the ponies want you to give a speech. Come on!"

Before Chris could say more than "Wait, what?" Pinkie had pushed him across the room and up onto a small stage. Chris suddenly found himself the centre of attention, with every pair of eyes locked on him. His stomach fluttered and he laughed nervously.

"Hi everypony," he said, fully aware of the colour in his cheeks. "I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say, and I'm not one for public speaking at the best of times." The crowd giggled. "Well, my name's Chris and I'm not really from around here." Again, giggles. "I've really only been here a short time," he said as he gained confidence, "but it's been one of the best times of my life. I've made seven awesome friends," he nodded to where Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Pinkie were standing, "and I'm looking forward to knowing the rest of you as well. Now, let's turn on the music and have ourselves a party."

The crowd cheered and applauded as Chris stepped down from the stage. Music started up, a cheerful tune that set many of the ponies to jiving. Chris quickly made his way through the crowd back to the others, who were all wearing wide smiles.

"I hate doing speeches," he said with a rueful grin.

"Why? That was really good. Nice and short," Twilight encouraged. "Now come on, let's go dance."

Chris shook his head. "I think I'll just watch for now."

Twilight shrugged, already swaying to the beat of the music. "Suit yourself."

Chris moved off to the side as the ponies all began dancing. Pretty soon the whole room was rocking along to the song. Chris hummed along to the tune but decided against dancing. _One speech is more than enough public attention for one day_, he thought.

As time wore on though Chris found himself being introduced to almost every pony in the room. First Applejack came up and introduced him to her brother and grandmother, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. Then he met Cheerilee, the teacher at the local school, Mr Breezy, who owned a fan store, Bon Bon, who ran a candy stall in the market, Octavia, who could play the cello, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, a pair of rich fillies that Chris took an instant dislike to, and many others that Chris couldn't remember. Finally the supply of ponies wanting to meet him was exhausted. Feeling thoroughly worn out, Chris collapsed into a convenient chair.

"Why are you sitting down, silly billy?" Pinkie asked as she popped up beside him. "There's still a whole lot of party to have! And you haven't even danced yet."

"No thanks Pinkie," Chris said. "I don't really feel like dancing."

"Come oooonnnn," Pinkie pleaded, her eyes growing larger. "Just one dance? Pretty please?"

Chris could feel his resistance slipping away as he stared into Pinkie's puppy dog face. "Oh alright then. One dance."

"YAY!"

Twilight was at the snack table getting some punch, when the crowd suddenly erupted into wild cheers. Looking around she was surprised to see Pinkie Pie leading Chris into the middle of the room just as the song ended. The crowd quickly backed up, clearing a large open space around the two. Chris caught Twilight's eye and shrugged, as if to say 'why not'.

The new song started up with a rapid thumping of drums setting a fast tempo, quickly joined by the deep thrumming notes of a double bass. Chris started to sway, shifting from one foot to the other. Everyone was surprised when Pinkie got up on her hind legs and started copying his actions. Chris recovered quickly and grinned at Pinkie, who beamed back. Some silent agreement passed between them and they both stepped forward, Chris taking one of Pinkie's hooves in one hand while the other went to her waist, Pinkie's other hoof resting on his shoulder. A trumpet blared, powerful and energetic and suddenly they were moving. Dancing with incredible speed and in perfect unison. They split apart, slid past each other, joined hooves and kept dancing. The music was swelled, the lone trumpet was joined by the rest of the swing band and the dance went into overdrive. Pinkie's hooves left the floor as she spun around, flipped over Chris's shoulder and from there Twilight pretty much lost track of what was happen. She remembered a lot of flipping and spinning. By the time the song finished Chris and Pinkie were both breathing heavily and wearing identical face splitting grins. The crowd went wild with applause as they took a bow.

"That was a very nice routine," Twilight complimented as Chris collapsed into his chair.

"Yeah that was awesome!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Where did you learn to dance like that dear?" Rarity asked.

Chris managed a laugh. "I didn't. That just sort of… happened."

Rainbow gave him a sceptical look. "Really? It just happened?"

Chris shrugged. "That's all I got. Oh man that was tiring."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "That one dance wiped you out? Seriously?"

"Hey that was a really fast dance. Also I'm not exactly the fittest person ever," Chris admitted.

"Maybe I should be your personal trainer," Rainbow joked. Then she looked thoughtful. "That's actually not a bad idea."

"I really don't think that's necessary."

"Nope, I've decided," Rainbow announced. "I'm not going to rest until I've gotten you in shape!"

"Oh joy," Chris muttered. The others giggled.

"Oh horse apples," Twilight said suddenly. Chris raised his eyebrows in a silent question and Twilight nodded at the clock on the wall. "It's already noon."

"Oh cripes," Chris said as he got out of his chair and headed for the door. "Come on we don't want to be laaa…"

The word died in Chris's throat as he pulled open the door and came face to muzzle with a snow white alicorn. Her mane and tail were coloured blue, green, purple and pink and looked as though they were floating in a non-existent wind. Her eyes were pink and overflowing with kindness and warmth. She was dressed in golden horseshoes, a gold necklace and a small gold tiara both with purple crystals set in them. Just behind her stood another alicorn, this one dark blue with a mane and tail that looked like they were crafted from the night sky. Her eyes were green and calm. She wore silver horseshoes, a plain black tiara and a black necklace with a white crescent moon on it. _Twilight's descriptions were very accurate,_ Chris thought.

Princess Celestia smiled kindly and said, "So this is where everypony got to."

* * *

**Swing dancing is, by far, one of the most awesome types of dancing to watch. Anyway make sure to follow and favourite or I shall sneak a Super-Duper Super Sour Lemon Treat into your breakfast. Now that'd be one heck of a wake up call!**


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